Monday, August 20, 2012

Jumping to Santorini

OK...I know that Santorini comes a bit later but...I forgot to put it in so...here's a preview.

View from caldera island toward Oia

The
islands of Santorini have created a very unique volcanic caldera. The crescent
moon shaped islands known as Santorini, Thirasia and Aspronisi form an
imaginary circle in the middle of which is the caldera of Santorini, the
largest in the world. The volcano first erupted about 2.5 million years ago and
is still active today. There have been 12 major eruptions, each changing the
shape of the islands. Nea Kameni and Palea Kameni, two volcanoes in the center
of the caldera, were formed by underwater eruptions and are the latest pieces
of land in the Mediterranean. The formation of New Kameni began 440 years ago
with the last pieces of volcanic lava petrified of just over 50 years. The last
eruption was in 1950.

Oia churches on the hill

We spent
the day roaming across the island, avoiding the hot areas and holding our noses
to avoid the sulphur. It was a barren landscape but very interesting to hear
about. The boat ride was an opportunity to view more of the caldera and that
inner ring. It’s amazing to see how steep the sides are and how all of the
cities are perched at the top of the cliffs.